29 Answers

No, it is not safe to just let him run around. He is presumably very scared and may pose a threat to whomever he encounters. Primates, and macaques especially, are very gregarious and social creatures. They need to be around others of the same species, or they can break down psychologically. Macaques are also known to carry the Herpes B simplex, which can be fatal to humans. This is not cool, this is not funny, and this poor primate needs to be caught soon and placed in a sanctuary with other macaques.

I’ve seen the monkeys from the Tarzan movies referenced in the story jump into a boat and snatch food out of people’s hands. They can be downright dangerous. This monkey should be caught and a home found for him in a zoo. The worst case scenario is that another one of the opposite sex gets loose to, a colony of macaques in Tampa would not be a good idea. But what really needs to happen is the idiot who thought having a pet macaque was a good idea should be found, arrested, and pay a substantial fine, at least enough to cover the cost of finding and apprehending the monkey and finding him a safe home in a zoo. Maybe some jail time is in order too.

Then we should pass a law preventing the importation of all exotic “pets”.

I guess he would be happier (and safer) with other Macaques. But his evasion of authorities sparks a defiant, populist emotional upwelling in me that makes me root for his continued freedom. And apparently a lot of people feel the same enthusiasm.

@stump Apparently a lot of people are projecting and romanticizing a potentially dangerous situation. This is not a person with a cause against injustice, this is a wild primate who should never have been taken out of its natural habitat to begin with.
Florida is looking at losing its balance in the wetlands because of these escaped wild pets. There are for too many pythons now loose in the everglades to capture and they are eating everything including alligators. They have disrupted the balance of the ecosystem and are more successful predators than indigenous species. There are monitor lizards out there now, as well as giant rats and numerous other “exotics” that people have either turned loose or have escaped and then bred.
This is the tip of a huge iceberg of a problem.

It is totally ignorant to think that this macaque is having a great time. He is not defiant and he has no great message to send to the public. He’s a freaking escaped, psychologically damaged mammal that needs to be brought to a safe place. @stump – you say that a lot of people feel the same enthusiasm – I’m sure that is true, but a foolish thing believed by a billion people is still a foolish thing.

I believe he should be outsmarted and captured so he’s not a threat to children walking down the street carrying a banana. He’s telling folks that he needs his natural habitat not a zoo. If people don’t listen,he will keep making a monkey out of them.

I get the rational safety stuff. I love animals generally and don’t want to see anything bad happen to this one. But am I really the only one on Fluther that feels the desire to say, “Way to go, Monkey. Stick it to the Man!”?

@stump I grew up in central Florida, I’ve seen wild monkeys there, I’ve seen parrots, I’ve seen poisonous toads, and I’ve heard about far more, so I just don’t go that direction, though I can see how you could. Mainly I think of the moron who thought importing the monkey was a good idea in the first place. Now if this was a cow escaped from the railyards I’d be right there with you.

Red Deer had a pig lose for months, glimpses were seen. He was caught when it got really cold, I think he gave himself up. I don’t know much about Florida except I loved Orlando and Nasa. is ther food for a monkey in the Everglades?

omg i once read the most unintentionally hilarious article about a loose wild boar busting down a door in someones house.

anyhow i think this is also funny. my grandpa lives in palm harbor, i should jet down there post haste and capture the furry little man then travel to madagascar with him to release him to his family and also get a nice vacation on the way. perfect, done.